Over 100 Haitian migrants arrive in the Florida Keys

More than 100 undocumented migrants from Haiti arrived in the Florida Keys on Thursday, according to U.S. Border Patrol Agents. 

Border Patrol agents responded to a report of a migrant landing in Tavernier on Key Largo at around 9 a.m., according to Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar. 

When authorities arrived at the location, they found a small sailboat and 114 migrants from Haiti near the shore. Out of the migrants, 104 of them were adults and ten were minors. 

According to witnesses, when they were close to shore, the migrants started jumping off of the boat to swim to shore. 

“It was crazy,” witness Michael Diaz said. “It almost capsized and they all jumped off and started swimming into the land.”

Migrant Jeffrey Francois told Local 10 News reporter Janine Stanwood that the group had been at sea for nine days. He added that he thought he would die on two separate occasions during rough sea conditions. 

“It’s very terrible. I think it’s a bad sacrifice,” Francois said, pointing to many of the migrants who were suffering from dehydration.

"The migrants were crammed in both decks. There is a lower deck where they were crammed in and they reported the water was horrible," said CBP Chief Patrol Agent Adam Hoffner. "The conditions at sea were terrible, high winds all week, there’s been small craft advisories."

Local EMS and first responders were brought to the scene to conduct medical screenings of the migrants. The group then boarded buses to a local Border Patrol station for processing. 

“Our message is, do not risk your life, do not take to the sea,” Acting Division Chief Adam Hoffner, of U.S. Border Patrol, said. “One hundred and fourteen onboard one of these boats -- extremely dangerous, and the migrants were fortunate to make it here because it was so dangerous on this boat."